Women delaying motherhood well into their 30s as they put their career first

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There is one birth for around every ten women in the 30-34 age group, more than for any other age range recorded by the Office for National Statistics.

It has been rising steadily since 2001 as women who put off having a child in their twenties start to give birth.

The ONS said the main reason they delayed having children was to go through university, then start a career. They are also marrying later, after taking longer to settle down.

It has pushed up the average age at which a woman gives birth to 29. In 1981 it was 27.

Previous studies have shown that women with higher educational qualifications tend to have children later in life, as well as being more likely to be childless.

The ONS said the number of births to women in their late twenties was also rising, reversing a decline which began more than 25 years ago.

There are now around 95 live births for every 1,000 females aged 25-29. But it has not been sufficient to keep pace with women in their thirties.

Both have contributed to the overall rise in the average number of births per woman, from 1.6 - a record low - in 2001 to 1.8 last year.

Statisticians say the picture is the same for both UK-born women and migrants, with benefits payouts and other changes introduced by Labour also likely to be a factor.

Yesterday's ONS report on population said: "Possible explanations for this change may be changes in maternity leave, taxation and benefits for those with children, and also the impact of recent high levels of international migration to the UK."

Despite the increase in the overall birth rate, it would still be too low to maintain the

UK's existing 61million population - provided there was no immigration.

This would require all women having more than two children each.

The rise in women giving birth in their early thirties is likely to provoke debate among health experts. The older a woman is, the higher her chance of miscarriage and of having a baby with Down's syndrome.